20-year-old Providence man arrested after violent carjacking that seriously injured elderly man

Colonel Michael J. Winquist, Chief of the Cranston Police Department, announces that detectives from the Criminal Investigations Unit have arrested a suspect in a carjacking reported on Friday morning. 

At approximately 6:09 a.m., the Cranston Police Department received an emergency call that an assault was in progress in front of 133 Pontiac Avenue.

Multiple Patrol Officers responded and discovered an elderly male lying in the street with multiple injuries from an apparent assault. An investigation revealed that the victim was traveling on Pontiac Avenue when a man flagged him down. When he stopped, the suspect allegedly pulled him from his vehicle and violently assaulted him.

The suspect fled the area in the stolen vehicle (a 2014 Toyota Corolla) with a woman.

Cranston Fire and Rescue transported the victim to Rhode Island Hospital for treatment of serious but non-life-threatening injuries. 

Detectives learned the suspect was possibly at an address in North Kingstown. At approximately 11:30 a.m., a North Kingstown Police Officer located the suspect and stolen vehicle. The suspect was arrested without incident and transported to Cranston Police Headquarters. 

The suspect is identified as 20-year-old Matthew Figueroa Hernandez of Providence, RI.

Figueroa Hernandez will be charged with First Degree Robbery (Occupied Motor Vehicle), Assault on a Person Over 60 Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury, 2 counts of Domestic Simple Assault, and Domestic Disorderly Conduct.

A bail commissioner at Cranston Police Headquarters arraigned Figueroa Hernandez and ordered him held without bail at the Adult Correctional Institution pending a formal court arraignment on Monday. 

Colonel Winquist stated, “I commend the detectives for their intensive efforts in solving a violent and senseless crime resulting in serious injury to one of our city’s senior residents. Members of this police department take great pride in keeping the residents of Cranston safe, and random acts such as this are fortunately rare. When they occur, we will leverage all resources to bring the person responsible to justice. The victim, in this case, is in our thoughts, and we wish him a speedy and full recovery. I also want to thank the North Kingstown Police Department for assisting with the swift apprehension of the suspect.”